


Mind Like a Sieve

by dreamydami



Category: Dreamcatcher (Korea Band)
Genre: Childhood Friends, College, F/F, Female Friendship, Friendship, Friendship/Love, True Crime
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27838051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamydami/pseuds/dreamydami
Summary: Memories aren't always meant to be remembered.
Relationships: Han Dong | Handong/Lee Gahyeon, Kim Bora | SuA/Lee Siyeon, Kim Yoohyeon/Lee Yubin | Dami
Comments: 15
Kudos: 28
Collections: Dreamcatcher fanfics





	1. The Riddle

Bora, Siyeon, Handong, Yubin - a group of friends that has withstood the test of time, with heavy history that goes all the way to when they were little kids. They grew up together, left their hometowns to go to neighboring universities as one unit, and lived in a two-bedroom loft apartment. Siyeon and Bora share a room, with two beds in it because their space is bigger, and because the apartment is actually owned by Bora’s sister. Handong and Yubin, on the other hand, share a double-deck bed, Yubin on top and Handong at the bottom bunk. When you live with your best friends, you understand them better, you appreciate having them around, thinking how life could have been if you didn’t have them in your life. And that’s how Siyeon had started sleeping in Bora’s bed, how they eventually melted into one, inseparable and too deeply in love. It just feels natural for Siyeon to protect Bora as she sleeps, to hug her tight when she is deep and peaceful in her slumber, and for Bora to graze her arm around Siyeon’s waist as she feels her girlfriend’s warmth beside her in the deep night.

“Babe?” Siyeon whispers, her breath warm against Bora’s cheek.

“Hmm? You’re home late?”

Siyeon disregards the questions and quickly says, “I’m taking the Police Exam.” like a bomb exploding in front of their faces.

That jolts Bora up to her consciousness. She faces Siyeon but only with eyes half open, her mind still processing what her other half just said. _Police exam._ They’ve had this conversation before, and taking the Police Exam means Siyeon going back home to their hometown for three gruelling months. It doesn’t help that Siyeon’s dad is the Chief of Police in their country, it also doesn’t help that her dad wants her to follow his footsteps, being an only child from a prominent political family.

“Huh? I thought we’ve talked about this? You were gonna search for law firms who would take in a rookie lawyer, remember?”

Bora and Siyeon both sit up, the older girl struggling to keep her eyes open, but she can still see the beauty in front of her.

“Yeah, I got into an argument with my Dad earlier when, apparently, the Court of Justice phoned him to ask about me. Also apparently they’ve wanted to keep me since my internship when I was in pre-law,” Siyeon’s voice is heavy, her face forlorn, deep questioning eyes looking at Bora as deeply as they could reach. “So he said, since I’m done with my degree and I’ve just passed the Bar, it’s time to be in the Police Academy and stop playing house with you.”

“Ahh, they must really not like me. See how different they are whenever you are with Dongdong, they like you because she’s old money rich.” Bora’s words don’t even sting anymore, they’ve known this since they were kids and they’ve learned to not let their parents’ beliefs get into their heads.

“You know I don’t care about that, right?” Siyeon picks up Bora’s hands, warmth coursing through her palms.”

“I know.” Bora shrugs. “We’ll make it work, baby. I’m on my last sem anyway, and then I could do some freelance design work, there are a lot out there. Or take a break, and get a job after your police exam. It will all wor--”

  
  


There is a loud bang downstairs, the thing with loft-style apartments is that you don’t get to be disturbed by the things happening downstairs, but the thud was so loud that Handong is already outside even before Bora and Siyeon managed to get out of Bora’s bed, faces panic-stricken.

“What the fuck was that?!” Siyeon, having a father, a mother, an uncle, and grandparents as high-ranking police officers, her primal instinct is to ask everyone to stay behind her. She then walks away from Bora and pushes Handong away from her back so she would be in front, and quietly descends from their stairs.

“How would I know,?! I was just watching my film when I heard that sound.” Handong, the senior Film Major, says in a hushed voice as she holds onto Bora in one hand and the stairs railing in the other.

“Where’s Yubin?” Siyeon asks, obviously directed to the roommate Handong, thinking if they are overreacting and could just be their other flatmate being uncharacteristically clumsy.

“No idea, she hasn’t slept on her bed for more than a week now since she met that tall girl in Gahyeon’s housewarming party.” Handong would sound annoyed at her friend Yubin’s behavior from an outsider point of view, but she is the mom of the group. She would naturally worry for her friends, especially if she hasn’t been sleeping in the room she has stayed in for more than four years now.

“Wait, you two, stay here,” Siyeon says when they finally reach the foot of the stairs, “I will scan the whole pantry and kitchen.”

Bora isn’t sure why Siyeon wouldn’t just open the lights, but she trusts her girlfriend and her gut feel.

“Hmm, our cookware, some plates,” Siyeon finally opens the light in the kitchen area, Bora understands to do the same in the living room. Handong walks to where Siyeon is, eyes wide when she sees the floor with broken ceramic pieces and disorganized plans that look like they were thrown to the floor for fun, or in anger. Handong bends over, to which Siyeon reacts abruptly and immediately pulls her back, “Handong! Wait! Don’t contaminate the scene!”

The main door opens.

Siyeon’s heart jumps out of her chest, Handong’s eyes grow even wider, and Bora runs towards her two friends as she screams surprised.

“What’s going on?” Yubin asks, quite bewildered at the fear in the eyes of all of her best friends.

“I suspect that someone was just here...” Siyeon admitted, coldly laying the words after deciding to not keep her hypothesis to herself.

Yubin is a crime novel writer, or aspiring to be one, in her last year in college. And the sheer mention of the word _suspect_ sends chills to her spine. It would be wrong to tell her friends that she is excited, so she takes out her phone and opens her Notepad application. She types:

  
  


_Unknown person trespassing in an all-woman apartment._

_Panic._

_Fear._ _  
_ _Broken dishes?_

_Pans on the floor._

  
  


She exits the application and notices a text from Yoohyeon, the woman she’s been hanging around since, as Handong said earlier, she met her in Gahyeon’s party two weeks ago. Gahyeon is Handong’s girlfriend of six months who had come from humble beginnings, but with persistent and hardworking parents, they now live comfortably with a wide estate in the countryside and two more houses in the city -- one for Gahyeon (thus the housewarming party), the other one leased by Yoohyeon’s uncle and aunt.

_Yoohyeon: Hm, I miss you already. :P_

Yubin would love to reply, flirt a bit, or a lot, but Handong puts an arm around her shoulders and suddenly whispers, “No time to flirt now, you do that later,” and Yubin slides her phone inside her back pocket instantly.

Yubin hadn’t noticed that Siyeon had gone upstairs, because now she is walking down the stairs with her phone and Bora’s in her hands.

“I think we should all take a photo of this thing,” Siyeon points at the broken glassware and cooking pans that are on the floor. “Just to be safe. So we all have a copy of this scene.” In that house, everyone trusts Siyeon. Not because her family is from the police, but because she has a certain command that makes people feel she is authority. They’ve never thought of that, Handong, Yubin, and Bora, until they find themselves lost if Siyeon wouldn’t tell them what to do. 

“So what do we do?” Yubin asks, checking the photos of the scene she had just taken.

“There’s actually a paper there, can anyone get a tweezer please?” Siyeon asks and Bora walks up without a word. “Babe, make sure the lights are on in both bedrooms!” Siyeon screams up to the ceiling, to the second floor where her girlfriend is, feeling slightly stupid that she had allowed her to go up alone despite probably having an intruder moments ago.

After a couple of minutes, Bora is seen with a box of gloves and the tweezer that Siyeon asked for. Bora thinks her spending hours watching true crime stories is finally of use because she wouldn’t have thought of asking everyone to wear a pair of gloves if she didn’t see it on the television.

“Bright idea, babe.” Siyeon is smiling, thankful her girlfriend thought about it when she failed to. She takes the tweezers and carefully fishes the note underneath the broken plates and saucers, holding the white paper so far from her as if it smells foul. Siyeon lays the folded paper on the dining table and they all sit closely together. All nervous and a bundle of nerves, Siyeon picks up the tweezers again, holds the paper up to the light, inspecting the content, if there is any.

“We should open it!” Bora comments after seeing that there is something written inside it. Handong and Yubin are reserved with their reactions, as always, but they are all just as equally curious as each other.

“Okay, here we go.”

The paper used is a plain white A4 typewriting paper folded into eight, with handwritten words in blue ink, seemingly from a pentel pen.

  
  


**_Bora, Siyeon, Handong, Yubin, here’s a riddle I’d like you to answer:_ **

**_A man goes to bed at 9:45 pm. He makes himself a drink, then turns off the TV and the lights. The night was windy and there was a major storm. The next day he discovers he was the cause of seven deaths. How is this possible?_ **

**_How is it possible that all of you are living your best lives?_ **

**_PS - Don’t ask for the police to help you solve this. I would know._ **


	2. Memories or Dreams?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bora, Siyeon, Handong, and Yubin are not safe. But who is?

Overbearing silence engulfs the four best friends as they all turn ice cold upon reading the last sentence.  _ How is it possible that all of you are living your best lives?  _ Could someone have known something about them? Something that not everyone knows about their group? No one dares to move a finger, no one attempts to blurt out a syllable until Yubin’s phone vibrates audibly.

“Sorry.” Yubin's friends are not really apologetic, that vibration shattered the deafening silence and they’re thankful for that. Yubin takes out her phone and switches to silent mode, laying it screen-first on the dining table.

“So? Does anyone want to talk about the pink elephant in the room?” Handong starts, always good in confrontation as far as this friendship is concerned. “Do we solve this riddle? Or what?” Handong’s voice has no shadow of warmth, just cold and dark in her every syllable.

“Yeah, I know the answer. I think.” Bora, Siyeon, and Handong all shift their worried eyes to Yubin as she starts. “I've encountered this before. And I think that maybe he’s living in a lighthouse. And he’s in the control tower. That could only be the reason why he has caused the death of seven people that has something to do with a major storm.” Yubin has always been the smart one, her friends knew more than to doubt her answer. That’s when the storm of questions started running.

“So what does that mean? I am not comprehending anything… at all...”

“What is this riddle?!”

“Who could have gotten inside our apartment?”

“What’s with breaking the plates?!”

“Sshh, calm down, guys. I think we should report it to the building guard and then to the police. Sounds good?” Handong is always the calm one in the group. Sure she has her outbursts and would get mad at unsealed laundry detergents or unwashed dishes after eating, but she has the calmest demeanor in the group. “And then we all sleep together in one room. Either yours or here in the living room.”

“Aren’t we a more open target if we are here downstairs? At least if we’re upstairs, we have one additional layer protecting us, which is the bedroom door.” Bora says everything stuttering with anger; she’s scared but indignant at the same time that someone has chosen to play with them. What reason could the perpetrator have to disturb them on an unsuspecting Wednesday night?

“Hm, Bora’s right. We should just sleep in our own rooms, lock our doors, block it with a chair. So should the perp gets into one of the rooms, knock on wood, the other two would hear.” Yubin chimes in.

“It’s funny how you say to sleep in our own rooms...” Handong interjects, obviously teasing her roommate.

“Shut up, Dong. Not now,” Yubin doesn’t understand why Handong would tease her in a crisis. “Anyway, Sing, so what do you think should we do?” All eyes on Siyeon now, who is staring at the paper with the riddle. She is the most affected by this mysterious letter, the mysterious asking for attention from the four individuals, the most guilty-looking if they were put in a trial.

“Do you really think it’s a good idea to share this to the police? Even with that PS?” Siyeon, uncharacteristically police force deviant, shakes her friends. “I mean, this person has gotten inside our house. They can do so much more if we didn’t follow the letter. I don’t want to beg my dad for a police escort in here.”

“Yeah, that makes sense, I guess… But just know if this happens again, I’m calling the cops. Final word.” Handong isn’t trying to go against Siyeon’s decision, she just wants what’s best for all of them. “Okay, let’s clean up and lock everything, doors, windows,  _ everything _ .” Handong's voice firm as she looks at Bora who is visually shaken. She is usually talkative, the same mom figure as Handong, but this event has shaken her badly, still feeling cold from her palms to the pads of her feet. 

  
  


Bora is fast asleep, feeling slightly warm as Siyeon cuddles her through the night while staring blankly at the coved ceiling, looking at every detail there is just so her mind wouldn’t wander somewhere else especially with tonight’s grim event. She succeeds a little, staring at the down lights one moment and then shifting to the perplexing letter in another. She feels restless, her mind a colossal hole for her memories.

In the other room, Handong and Yubin do not appear to be as shaken as the couple.

“So you were just sleeping in her pull-out bed the whole time you weren’t here?” Handong’s tone was like a mom’s when she hears you are being treated badly by a new friend.

“Eh, just for the first few days. Eventually she led me into her bed.”

“And of course, you let her lead you. That one’s a given.”

“We didn’t have sex! Also, I don’t know, dude. I feel like I’ve seen her before. Not sure where.” Yubin sounds so sure that she’s seen her somewhere, she just couldn’t pinpoint where because she has no clue. “But I asked her about her hometown and her schools but we don’t have any similarities there. Maybe I’m just dejavu-ing a whole friendship.”

“If she were from the same hometown we would have known about her, Yubs.”

“Right, right. By the way… We hung out a bit with Gahyeon. And she’s really nice. I was almost never around when you two were getting to know each other, but thanks to Yoohyeon I do see why you feel lucky to have her.”

“Yeah… I really do. I just wish we would end up together.”

“What do you mean? Do you not get into a relationship with its end in mind?” 

“I don’t know… She pursued me a lot and I just gave in because I suddenly couldn’t stop thinking about her.”

There is silence after Handong’s sentence, it’s the type of silence that you don’t mind when you’re with your best friend, but also the type of silence that you have when you start thinking about someone special.

“Night, Yubs.”

“Night, Dongie.”

  
  


The lights are off, and it’s finally time for Yubin to reply to her new flame. Four new messages.

  
  


_ Hm, I miss you already. :P _

_ My aunty went into my room and looked for the cute short lady. I said, am I short?! Apparently she meant you. _

_ We’ve known each other for just… Two weeks? But I feel like I’ve known you for a lifetime. Is tht weird? _

_ Are you asleep because here’s a selfie :P _

_ Good night, cute-short-lady-according-to-my-aunty :P _

Yubin smiles at every message, the type of smile that makes your face ache from being so wide you have to tap your cheeks gently so blood would start flowing into them again. Yubin’s new friend has had that effect on her. Such a huge one that Yubin slept over her house for five days straight. But it wasn’t like Yubin had planned to prematurely u-haul with Yoohyeon, it just so happens that they would talk about a book or a TV show or a play or a movie, and they would discuss it the whole night and even find new movies to watch  _ then _ discuss, again. Life is hard if you’re both literature majors  _ and  _ compatible. By the time they were done talking about the second movie, it would already 2:30AM at the earliest, and in no way Yoohyeon’s aunt would allow her friend to leave at that time. Yubin is generally good with parents, everyone loves her. So Yoohyeon got surprised with how her aunt is with Yubin as she is usually apprehensive of allowing Yoohyeon’s friends to become part of their lives too. But with Yubin, it’s different.

Yubin finally replies as she finishes smiling at Yoohyeon’s messages, gushing even.

  
  


_ Sorry that I couldn’t reply earlier. We had an incident at home, but it’s all good now and I’ve just gotten to bed. Hope you’re asleep because it’s really late… _

_ I miss you too, Yoohyeon :) See you tomorrow? _

  
  


There is no reply from Yubin’s new friend. It’s 3AM, and most probably she was already asleep. Yubin closes her eyes and falls into a deep slumber almost immediately.

In the other room, Siyeon had just fallen asleep as well. But as soon she closes her eyes, she is hounded by dark scenes that have translated themselves into a night’s dream.

She was back in her hometown with her friends, in front of a small bungalow house that rests on Bora’s parents’ land. Her friends were behind her, not walking if she didn't take a step. She noticed something odd, there were six of them in the field. She recognized Yubin, Bora, and Handong. But who are these two other kids who looked similar to each other? Were they really there in their hometown? Or were they merely creatures of Siyeon’s dream?

It’s 8AM, and Siyeon feels the faint light on her eyes peeking from the slightly open curtains. She notices Bora is not cuddled with her anymore, and she was about to be upset when she receives a call from her Dad, like a morning ritual. Her mood changes, stiffens to a rigid voice.

After her call with her dad, she calmly descends the stairs with messy hair and beautiful face, when she sees her best friends standing around one of the dining chairs.

“What are you guys up to?” Siyeon naturally goes straight to Bora, with half-open eyes she hugs her from behind as she smells the hint of coffee from her neck, “Smells wonderful.”

Siyeon hasn’t noticed that no one has answered her, with Bora’s scent intoxicating her. She opens her eyes wide, her heart suddenly racing when she sees another paper folded into eight. The box of gloves is still sitting on the kitchen counter as well as the tweezers, and she rushes over to open the letter immediately.

  
  


**_Bora, Siyeon, Handong, Yubin,_ **

  
  


**_Thanks for not telling the police._ ** **_Ready for more puzzles? :)_ **

  
  


A brief, cold message sarcastically ending with a smiley. The intruder had been in their place while they were sleeping. There is internal chaos happening inside them all, but they are all feeling too groggy to speak up their minds. 

Handong was the one who wanted to tell the police last night, but with this recent letter, that is now her last option. She just knows that the person messing with their heads can do anything to them.

“We should change our locks. Like, all of it. Now.” Yubin says lifelessly, her eyes falling onto Siyeon’s, helpless and restless behind her words.

“Let’s go.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> any sus? let me know? :)


	3. Help Them.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone needs help, as immediately as possible.

Five consecutive nights, five same dreams -- it was the same scene in Siyeon’s subconscious, six kids walking towards a humble house. There’s a familiar feeling that resides in Siyeon’s heart during her dream -- guilt. There’s a certain culpability that eats her more and more as they get closer to the house. Every morning, she tries to tell her friends about her dreams and the two unknown kids in it, but every morning, they receive a riddle from the perpetrator and everyone’s energy is directed to that routinely-delivered letter. Yubin has also stopped sleeping over at Yoohyeon’s house to protect her friends, instead she brings her over to their house and makes sure to bring her back home. Their relationship is developing quite quickly, but who needs to delay a match made in heaven, as what Handong and Gahyeon would call the two same-aged girls incessantly flirting with each other. Gahyeon has also started spending more time in their apartment. Handong and Gahyeon would always just hole up in the younger girl’s house, but with the current events happening, Handong would always ask her girlfriend to just stay over. She didn’t get into the specifics because she didn’t want her to worry, but she just said that she needs to always be at home at all times, they’re developing an entrapment for a certain trespasser in their apartment. Gahyeon has raised the suggestion for the group to just move in with her, the house is awfully big anyways. But Yubin had the right point to raise that the perpetrator might just move on to Gahyeon’s house, where they are more vulnerable due to the place being so huge. Everyone agreed, and that was the last time anyone ever talked about moving out. They just have to stick together, and everything will be fine.

Bora, on the other hand, is not adjusting well since the letters. The first night, she slept soundly. But as she always is the one to find the riddles placed carefully on one of the dining chairs, she has gotten so paranoid over who might be following her, having Siyeon walk her to and from her university.

“Babe, what will happen to me when you start studying for the Police Exam?”

“We’ll find a way. Or maybe this will stop.”

Siyeon looks into Bora’s eyes, seeing her girlfriend becoming lackluster and slowly feeling delicate, pain overcomes her like an arrow slowly piercing through her heart. She comes up with an idea, tells her family’s private investigator and tasks them to give her any information about the letter sender. All of the riddles were sent in handwritten form, and Siyeon thought this could be a useful key to find out who she is. She told no one in the group, not leaving anything to chance should the riddler take notice of Siyeon’s move.

The private investigator calls her after three days, voice pessimistic and tone remorseful. “I’m sorry, Ma’am. It’s a dead end. Our graphologist has pinpointed that the sender might have used stencil and traced the letters to make it seem like it’s their own handwriting. The letter A’s seem to belong to the penmanship of Nelson Mandela, while the distinct letter D’s seems to be from Princess Diana. I know, it’s so weird, but this person is very knowledgeable and unfortunately, very careful.”

Siyeon couldn’t believe it. The perpetrator has probably been checking up on them for so long that they know what she can _actually_ do.

  
  


It is 4PM on a Friday, time to pick up Bora from the campus. Like clockwork, Siyeon stands up from the sofa, picks up her bag from the dining table, and grabs her car keys from her key holder - there are four, one for each of them. Very swiftly, a shadow passes through the gap between the door and the floor, and a piece of paper folded in eight slips through. Siyeon panics, picks up the letter and runs outside the door to where she last saw the shadow went to, which was to her right. She runs along the corridor, going through the fire exit downstairs, and then to the parking spaces in the basement. She runs as swiftly as she could until her lungs give in, stopping as she sees no signs of anyone. Siyeon tries to catch her breath as she squats, legs almost giving in. Still gasping for air, she stands up and opens the letter, not a riddle this time:

**_Siyeon,_ **

**_You should try to run sometimes. Like how we did after what you’ve done, you and your friends._ **

**_Tiring, right? Feels like gasping for air but there’s nothing to breathe?_ **

**_Take care._ **

  
  


Siyeon’s hands are ice cold, face pale as paper. She takes out her vibrating phone, still stiffened and staggered. 

“Babe?” Bora’s voice sounds meek, painful to hear for Siyeon but pushes through, heart still beating irregularly.

“Yes babe, sorry I’m a bit late. I’ll run now.” Siyeon says as she jogs to her car.

“No, wait, look. I got a letter, folded in eight. We know who this is from.”

“WHAT?! Where did you find the letter?!?” Siyeon couldn’t hide the worry from her voice with her screaming against the phone.

“In my locker. But I’m fine. Just be safe. I haven’t opened it. I was thinking we should open it together.”

“Okay babe. I’m driving now. Five minutes. Don’t talk to anyone.” 

The five-minute drive seems to feel like forever for Siyeon. She tries to concentrate on her driving, but her mind does not fail to make things hard for her and runs back to when she saw the figure’s shadow in the gap of their door.

_That fucker._

She enters Bora’s campus and there was her damsel in distress, waiting for her with shallow eyes.

Siyeon rolls down her window, doing her best to smile. “Hello Ma’am, ride for Miss Bora Kim?” That elicits a laugh from her girlfriend, her old, chaotic laugh that feels like it would go through the roof. She feels a part of Bora comes back, but she will be patient until she gets the whole of her. Bora sits on the passenger’s seat as always, and then kisses Siyeon, locks her lips passionately with hers, and releases when Siyeon is gasping for breath. Now Siyeon asks for more.

“Uh, what was _that_?” A blushing Siyeon asks as she drives back to their apartment.

“I don’t know, I felt like life is draining out of me so I tried to kiss you to check if I can have my life back!” Bora’s tone is different, a bit cheery and a lot more like her.

“And? Did it work?” Siyeon asked, amused with her girlfriend’s sudden change in mood.

“Oh of course, babe.”

Just like that, they’re back in their place, walking together hand in hand towards the lobby, towards the elevator, and then to their floor. They reach their unit and Siyeon feels panic rise through her, again.

“Fuck, I forgot to close this. What if--”

Siyeon puts her arms up for Bora, to protect from anything that might lounge forward at them.

“Babe, stay back. I left the door open. I’m sorry.”

  
  


Siyeon goes upstairs, searches the bathrooms, the kitchen, the pantry.

  
  


“Everything’s fine. I’m sorry I startled you.”

“No,” Bora says while locking the door, hanging her own key on her holder and noticing that Siyeon’s key is not there. “It’s fine, you were just looking for us, I know.”

Bora makes way to the living room with a spacious sofa where Siyeon is almost lying down, “Babe, where is your key? It’s not hanging there?” Bora’s voice has never been softer.

The couple is having a bit of a heart attack as Siyeon searches her pockets and purse with frantic hands, neither one doing their best to hide their worry to avoid alarming one another. 

“Fuck. Ugh. It’s here.” It’s in her small front pocket, of course. She wouldn't remember with her haste earlier. “Fuuuck I almost died looking for it thinking the perp might have been in here.”

Bora hugs her girlfriend and the world stops the moment their skins meet. Siyeon puts the key back into her pocket as Bora sits on top of her, kissing the soul out of her, helping her forget a fragment of her close encounter earlier. Siyeon’s hand goes inside Bora’s shirt, her arms grazing her warm back, lips leaving sweet taste on each other.

The door clicks. And then it opens.

“Geez, sorry.” Yubin is at the door with her new friend Yoohyeon, snickering and trying to avert their eyes. “We’re really not seeing anything.” Their eyes are glued to the ceiling and the walls.

An expletive and a couple of laughs later, Siyeon apologizes as they run upstairs with hands intertwined. Yubin and Yoohyeon walk inside cautiously, who knows what other surprises they might see.

“Sorry about that,” Yubin clucks, Yoohyeon still snickering as she puts her bag down on the same sofa they found Bora and Siyeon on. “It’s fine, they love each other, that’s normal.” 

Yubin puts her bag on one of the dining chairs, and as she fixes its contents, a paper folded to an eighth fell, screaming at her beckoning at its existence. 

“Oh! Something fell from your bag, Yubs.” 

Yubin panics, her new friend was not supposed to see this. She was not supposed to bring her into this side of her world.

“Ah, I can just throw that.” Yubin picks it up and throws it straight to the trash can, Yoohyeon reacting as if she found a landmine and stepped on it. She shrugs it off and starts fixing their snacks as Yubin fetches plates and utensils for both of them.

“Hey, what drink do you want? We have mango juice, Four Seasons, chocolate milk, a couple of beers and a wine.” Yubin offers while taking a carton of chocolate milk for herself.

“Hmm, it’s still too early for a beer right, so I’ll have the same.” Yoohyeon always has a beautiful smile on her face, radiating and shining like life is never hard. Sometimes, Yubin thinks, one can’t always be this happy, she must have her low times and she just hasn’t shown her yet. 

“Here you go, my liege.” Yubin says kneeling down, holding the chocolate milk above her head as she bows. She jokes around like this, but she has always been a prince to everyone, most especially to girls that she likes.

“Ugh, stop it, Yubin. It’s embarrassing.” Yoohyeon says, cheeks flushing as she holds Yubin’s arms to help her up. “It’s cute too, by the way.” Yubin blushes more furiously, her face like a ripe tomato ready to be picked. She clears her throat and grabs her laptop from her bag, sets it up on the dining table, and watches their series. It’s some true crime documentary, a genre they both have found to be one of their many similar interests.

Halfway through the first episode they are watching together, Yubin’s earpiece falls off. And again on the next minute of the episode. Yoohyeon hits pause and faces Yubin.

“I’m getting the impression that you don’t want to be near me.”

“What?” Yubin is afraid Yoohyeon’s statement is correct. She can’t take that tension - their arms brushing, their knees touching, she knows it will make her crazy and she wishes she was strong enough to act on this burning feeling.

“Just come closer. Unless you want that earpiece to fall off again.” Yoohyeon grabs Yubin’s forearm as she moves, and it’s not the same as when she did earlier. Now electricity is sent everywhere in Yubin’s body, butterflies swimming in her stomach, her body hypersensitive to any touch coming from the other girl, and then the hold releases. Yubin can suddenly breathe again.

Now just centimeters away from each other, Yoohyeon holds Yubin’s knee, her thumb lightly grazing the other’s thigh. Yubin is frozen, overwhelmed (in a good way), powerless. She takes her hand and entwines it with Yoohyeon’s, the series now probably just a background music to this symphony.

“I want to kiss you right now,” Yubin confesses as she looks at Yoohyeon’s lips while squeezing her hand. "Badly."

Yoohyeon faces Yubin, her other hand entangled with the strands of Yubin’s short bob hair, flattering with her small face. They both move forward and their lips meet halfway, kisses tender, moans soft, Yubin feeling as if she’s in another dimension and Yoohyeon as if she’s opening her own Pandora’s Box. They were drowning in each other’s lips, getting drunk with their skins, and they know they have to stop. Yubin pulls away first, that final breath before their lips parted is driving her crazy.

“I-I’m s-sorry. I'm not into PDA.” Yubin explains.

“Don’t worry about it.” Yoohyeon says, flashing Yubin a sweet reassuring smile and an equally flushed cheeks.

Further into the series, their distance keeps getting erased. It’s dinnertime and Yubin is leaning her head on the taller girl’s arm, hands still tightly intertwined. She’s not really someone who likes physical contact (aside from sex), but something with Yoohyeon is pushing her innards and outer body parts to stay close to her at all times.

“Aren’t you hungry? I have to bring you home soon.” Yubin asks as soon as the episode finishes. That should be their last one for tonight if she wants to stay on Yoohyeon’s aunty’s good side and bring her home at a decent time.

“Actually, aunty and uncle are out until Sunday. Do you maybe... wanna come home with me?” 

Yubin has never faced a woman as forward as Yoohyeon. She always keeps her on her toes, always wondering what would be next. The waiting is always absolute agony but she will see through it for the result, and that’s what sets Yoohyeon aside from everyone she has ever met. She _excites_ her.

Yubin thinks about Yoohyeon’s offer, knowing she and Yoohyeon could finally seal the deal when she goes home with her. But to leave her friends alone? They had promised to stick together since that night. There’s also something that Yubin hadn’t told them yet, about the paper she received.

Siyeon and Bora come walking down the stairs, hands clasped together like their lives depended on each other.

“Hey guys, we’re ordering pizza. Do you want some?” Siyeon offers.

“Actually…” Yubin starts.

“H-hey! Sure, Siyeon!” Yoohyeon answers, full of enthusiasm as always. Yubin is confused but shrugs it off, her stomach disagreeing with her protests of confusion.

Once Siyeon is done ordering, Yubin privately walks to her while Bora is talking to Yoohyeon.

“Hey Sing, Yoohyeon said, her aunty and uncle won’t be home until Sunday.” Yubin starts, not knowing how to phrase that she wants to selfishly spend all of her time with her new flame. At least just for tonight.

“Mmhm?” 

“Will you guys be okay if I spend some days with her?” Yubin asks, her concern growing in every word.

“Bro, it’s fine. We’ll be fine.” Siyeon taps Yubin at the back, and then hugs her as she says thank you. “Go get her.” Siyeon winks, making Yubin chuckle.

  
  


As Yoohyeon and Yubin arrive at Yoohyeon’s house, Siyeon sends Yubin a text.

_Why is there a riddle paper in the trash can?!?! We opened it, and it’s for you?! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE PERP IS SAYING ABOUT YOU?_

Yubin is, of course, suddenly antsy. She excuses herself to go to the bathroom to compose herself and reply to Siyeon.

_Yes I know, they’re slut-shaming me and I don't care._

Yubin hits send, flushes the toilet, and gets out of the bathroom. Yoohyeon hugs her as soon as she steps out, “I’m so happy you’re here. I’ve been dreaming of you.”

Yoohyeon was going to get beer for them, but the way Yubin’s hands and arms are now inside her shirt reveling on her back, undoing her bra and cupping her butt, there is no way she could get to the refrigerator without getting totally undressed.

  
  


Their night together goes on and on, their first night feeling each other’s tepid skins, passion as hot as the summer sun, souls melting as one.

  
  


“That was… beautiful.” Yoohyeon remarks as she catches her breath. “Oh shit, did I say that out loud?” 

Yubin snickers, thinking how adorable she is and it just swims in her head unnecessarily. Her words start to fill her head, and then they overflow. Yubin decides that kissing Yoohyeon would help her say those words out, so she leans over to the other girl whose back is on the headboard and presses soft kisses on her lips.

“I don’t usually ask this after sex. But I want us to be official," Yubin breathes intently, her words slowly crawling out of her. “Be my girlfriend, please, Yoohyeon?” Yubin picks up the other woman’s hand, soft and delicate as the faint yellow light touches her smiling face.

“How could you think I was gonna say no?!”

Meanwhile in Yubin’s apartment, Siyeon and Bora discuss the letters they have received. 

**_Siyeon,_ **

**_You should try to run sometimes. Like how we did after what you’ve done, you and your friends._ **

**_Tiring, right? Feels like gasping for air but there’s nothing to breathe?_ **

**_Take care._ **

  
  


**_Bora,_ **

**_You and your girlfriend are cute. Until you remember what you’ve done before and you realize what monsters you are._ **

  
  


**_Yubin,_ **

**_You are the talk of the town. How you kiss, how your hands are always warm.. Apparently the whole town also knows you’re a slut._ **

**_Do you take delight in people crying over you?_ **

  
  


The couple rack their brains out, trying to remember every single person they have met throughout their lives.

“It can’t be one of our high school batchmates. They were all nice to us and I don’t remember anyone we were particularly mean to?” Siyeon says, thinking out loud as her reels start turning.

“No babe, but remember that one transferee that Dongie was friends with? And then Dongie just stopped talking to her. She transferred before we graduated. She wasn’t even from our hometown.” Bora’s voice is a lot calmer now, a lot more soulful, like she’s finally facing this riddle person head on and doesn’t lose herself.

“Hm. Well, we didn’t do anything to her did we? And speaking of Dongie, is she home yet? She probably got a letter too.”

“No no, we were never mean! Especially you. Everyone loves you, Sing.” Bora says overwhelmingly that makes Siyeon smile, eyes and lips all the same happy. “Not sure where Dongie is, wanna give her a call?”

Siyeon reaches for her phone in an instant, but instead of calling one of her best friends, she opens a picture sent by Gahyeon with the caption, _Seems she hasn’t been sleeping well. She didn’t go to class. Just asleep here since 3PM. Want to just come over?_

“Babe, Gahyeon messaged me offering that we sleep over at her house because Dongie has been asleep there since 3PM?” Siyeon tells her girlfriend, suddenly she’s scared for them because the perpetrator might catch them off-guard. Panic crawls through Siyeon’s chest when Bora stands up and starts packing sleepwear for them.

“Oh, that’s a yes then.” Siyeon starts helping Bora and packs their toiletries into one medium-sized duffel bag.

Siyeon responds to Gahyeon: _We’re on our way._

Bora double checks the door locks before closing it, even if she knows the perpetrator could easily slip their letters through the door.

“Ugh, fuck _you_.” Bora says under her breath, running towards the elevator where Siyeon is waiting for her.

“You checked everything?” Siyeon asks, afraid they would have a repeat of what happened earlier today.

“Yes, don’t worry.” Bora lays her face on Siyeon’s arm, the taller girl kissing Bora’s forehead.

“It will be fine. We’ll be fine.”

The elevator dings to their floor, and off they go straight to the basement where Siyeon’s car is parked.

The drive to Gahyeon’s place is peaceful, dark yet illuminating for the two of them. They talk about not letting these daily letters consume them, promising to always talk about anything in their heads. That secrecy is not an option at this vulnerable time.

They reach their best friend’s girlfriend’s house, and Siyeon parks in the outer parking space, and she turns the engine off.

“Right. About secrets. I’ve been meaning to tell you all about this, but I figured I should tell you first being my better half.” Siyeon unfastens her seatbelt as Bora does the same, facing each other carefully as the night light delicately drapes over Bora’s sharp yet small features. Her tall nose slices through the darkness, and Siyeon is distracted by her girlfriend’s beauty.

“Yes? What is it?” Bora asks, a smile paints over her face and Siyeon feels sick to her stomach to be lucky enough to have someone like her.

“First, you are so beautiful but that's not a secret,” Siyeon says while cupping Bora’s face. “Second, I’ve been having these dreams for almost a week now. When we first got the letter, I couldn’t sleep well but when I finally did, I fell into a deep dream about our hometown and a certain house that was on your parents’ land.”

“What?” Bora refreshes her memory, a house on their land aside from their family house, she’s not sure what Siyeon is talking about. “And then?”

“And we were all kids. We were all there, you, me, Yubin, Handong. But there were two other girls I don’t know about. The house was pretty small, but I’m not sure what’s in it or who’s in it. I’ve never gone inside it in my dream.” 

There is a brief silence when Bora breaks it, sighing heavily, “Can you see the faces of the two other kids?”

“Not too well. Their faces are kind of blurred. Even yours and Yubin’s and Handong’s. But I know who you three are because of Handong’s glasses, Yubin’s hair, and your, uh, height.”

Bora punches her girlfriend’s arm gently, scoffing. “I can’t believe you.”

“Babe I’m sorry!!! It’s just how I distinguish you!!!”

“Fine.” Bora mockingly laughs and takes out her phone, calls Gahyeon to tell her of their arrival.

The couple spend a peaceful night after their host gives them a whole bottle of wine.

  
  
  


Yubin wakes up in the middle of the night to her vibrating phone underneath her pillow. She sits up and the emptiness beside her hits. She swipes her phone unlock at once, drowning with her panic. It’s a message from Yoohyeon.

  
  


_help me_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> longest chapter so far! sorry, of course i had to add some suayeon and 2yoo into this chapter.
> 
> let me know what you think! i enjoyed writing this chapter :)

**Author's Note:**

> My first fic on this genre! Appreciate your comments (and kudos♥️ hehe), I would love to hear your thoughts!
> 
> If you wanna tell me something anonymously, I check this once in a while lol:  
> [curiouscat♥️](https://curiouscat.qa/crajee4jenyer)
> 
>  **PS** \- I will add tags and relationships as the fic goes on ;)


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